Operation Nude Dead Sea executed

September 17, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: General 

Alive at the Dead Sea. (Reuters)

At dawn this morning, it went off without a hitch. 1,000 Israelis descended to an undisclosed beach at the Dead Sea and took their clothes off for photographer Spencer Tunick.

As he told reporters after the event, “This is the only place in the Middle East where something like this could have taken place.”

Here’s a first-person account from one of the participants.

Tags:

Disrobing at the Dead Sea

September 16, 2011 by · 2 Comments
Filed under: A New Reality, Art, General, Israeliness, Life, Pop Culture, Travel 

One of Spencer Tunick's previous nude installations

Will 1,000 naked bodies adorning the shore of the Dead Sea do for Israel what thousands of sound bites and interviews have failed? Whether or not it’s the hasbara coup of the decade, Saturday’s ‘Naked Sea’ nude art installation by American photographer-videographer Spencer Tunick, will, and already has, created a salty splash around the world.

Around 3,000 would-be nudists reportedly registered for the photo shoot but only 1,000 (between the ages of 18 and 77, half women, half men) were invited to take part. According to Haaretz, the participants will convene on a private, unnamed Dead Sea beach, where the photo shoot will begin at first light on September 17. Everyone will strip off, be photographed and then get dressed by 9 A.M.
The secrecy is required to keep people who are not part of the project out. “Only the people on the buses know where they are going. People who aren’t part of the project won’t get there,” one of the event organizers, Ari Gottesmann told Haaretz.

The Jewish American Tunick, who has conducted group photo shoots of nudes at locations around the world, most of them at public sites, said that he was inspired by the region’s beauty and was interested in drawing attention to the need to preserve the Dead Sea. Tunick has been photographing and videotaping nude installations since 1992, and since 1994 has designed 75 temporary, site-specific installations all over the world, many of which have been to promote social causes, according to his website.

Some Knesset members aren’t so keen on exposing this particular side of Israel, with MKs Nissim Ze’ev of Shas and Zevulun Orlev of Habayit Hayehudi being particular vehement in their criticism, with Orlev calling the event “Sodom and Gomorrah”

The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that amid the controversy surrounding the installation, the Western Dead Sea Megilot Regional Council decided on Wednesday to withdraw funding it had promised for the Saturday dawn event. But even without that funding the event was expected to go on

One of the registered participants, 25-year-old social media manager Raffe Gold, explained to the Post that taking part in the installation means promoting Israel’s unique stance as a liberal democracy in a less-than free region.

“Tunick’s reasons for doing the photo shoot, highlighting the rapidly dwindling Dead Sea and a variety of other environmental reasons, are incredibly important,” he said.
“However, I am doing it because I believe strongly that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that could have a mass-nude photo shoot. This photo shoot is not just about freeing the human body but freeing the human spirit and allowing us to express ourselves, which is what Israel is meant to stand for.”
Whether it’s freedom of expression or borderline pornography, the Naked Sea will certainly bring to the Dead Sea a sight never before seen. Let’s hope nobody is turned to salt.

Tags:

Foto Friday – Summer’s end with Ron Shoshani

September 15, 2011 by · 1 Comment
Filed under: Art, design, Foto Friday, General, Israeliness, Life, Picture of the Week, Profiles, Travel 

The weather is changing. The days are shorter, nights are cooler and the High Holy Days are almost upon us. One moment before we put our sandals and bathing suits away, let’s take a look back at summer 2011 with photographer Ron Shoshani.

Shoshani — who also works under the name Ronsho — spent a lot of time on the beach this summer, snapping pictures of the Tel Aviv shoreline, then taking the results back to the studio where he works his digital magic, creating hyper-realistic images that seem to almost jump off the screen. (A previous column provides a more detailed explanation of his work process).

Good morning Tel Aviv (part #1)!

“The major trick,” says Shoshani “is to be there at the right time, i.e. sunrise or sunset. These are the magic hours when the light is soft and the colors are great.” This photo of the famous (and infamous) Metzizim beach was shot at 6:00am.

Good morning Tel Aviv

Shoshani states that there are things of beauty all around us, “but sometimes we’re not aware and neglect them…” The sands of Tel Aviv’s Jerusalem beach, pounded each day by thousands of bare feet, suddenly reveals its rhythmic pattern…

Good morning Tel Aviv – part #2

Another early morning shot of Metzizim beach reveals a different pattern, this time machine-made…

To date, Shoshani has shared his work on Facebook, where a community of fans leave compliments and conduct discussions. He’s now opened up a second community on Google+, having reached the 5000 FB friends limit.

Visit and view the full size photos, including an amazing photo of some New York highway cops on their lunch break. By request of the policemen, a print of Ronsho’s photo now hangs in the HQ of NYPD Highway Patrol #15.

Tags:

Israeli man to give birth

September 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: health 

In the movie 1994 film “Junior,” a scientist played by pre-“governator” Arnold Schwarzenegger agrees to carry a pregnancy in his own body. While that comedy was pure fantasy, in Israel the same scenario is playing out…and this time it’s real.

Yediot Ahronot reported earlier this week that a 24-year-old man walked into an emergency room in central Israel and informed doctors that he was in his seventh month of pregnancy.

No, Israeli scientists are not playing around with some experimental treatment as with the Danny Devito character in Junior. The man in question was born as a woman. He went through a sex change operation several years ago, removing his breasts and taking hormones to create a more male appearance (he apparently was sporting a goatee).

But, in an unusual move, the man (who asked that his identity remain secret) left his sexual organs intact (most transgender men undergo surgery to construct a penis). That enabled his surprising pregnancy.

Yediot reported that in Israel, one out of every 400,000 women seeks to become a man. This, however, is the first reported pregnancy. The doctors in the emergency room, by the way, released the patient, ruling that the pregnancy is proceeding as planned.

Tags:

Heavy metal envoys from Israel

September 14, 2011 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, Entertainment, General, Israeliness, Music, News, Politics, Pop Culture 

As relations between Israel and Turkey have hit a new low, due to the belligerent tone and policies of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, there diplomatic ties between the two countries have been tenuous.

Israel currently has no ambassador in Ankara, and Erdogan recently severed more channels of cooperation between the two countries in the military and economic fields, as well as threatening to send war ships to accompany a future aid flotilla to Gaza.

So who’s going to come to the rescue to salvage the Israeli-Turkish relationship? An Israeli metal band!

Israeli metal speed metal band Orphaned Land have developed a big following in the Arab world over the last decade due to their fusion of hard rock and Middle Eastern motifs, and just good old headbanging music loved by metal fans no matter where they are.

Their shows in Europe are dotted with fans from places like Iran, Lebanon and Syria – countries which don’t officially recognize Israel. And one of their bastions of popularity over the last few years has been Turkey. So while, the Israel-Turkey relationship is heading south, Orphaned Land and its charismatic leader Kobi Farhi, traveled to Istanbul last week and performed 5,000 Turkish fans.

Calling the scene “insane,” Farhi told Ynet that “in our reality, we’re in a mess with Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey, and then an audience comes to see us from all these countries. We become stronger and unwillingly turn into ambassadors. It’s amazing when you understand how much courage these people have.”

The concert, part of the Unirock Open Air Festival, received a lot of media attention in Turkey according to Farhi, and he felt that despite the nadir in relations between the governments, the people of Israel and Turkey had bonded.

“Yesterday night I felt like I had won, like I had been awarded the privilege of doing something important in this world.”

Here’s a clip of Farhi talking to a Turkish audience last during a show last year.

YouTube Preview Image

Tags:

Page 4 of 8« First...23456...Last »

 

© 2012 ISRAELITY | Site by illuminea | Sitemap